Means for connecting amplifying-horns to talking-machines.



No- .798,876. PATENTED SEPT. 5, 1905. J. H. B. CONGBR 6: 0,1. EICHHORN. MEANS FOR CONNECTING AMPLIPYING HCRNS T0 TALKING MACHINES.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN H. B. CONGER AND CHARLES J. EICHHORN, OF NEW'ARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNORS TO THE TEA TRAY COMPANY OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

MEANS FOR CONNECTlNG AMPLlFYlNG-HORNS T0 TALKING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 5, 1905.

Application filed September 1. 1903. Serial No. 171,483.

To all whmn it may concern:

Be it knownthat we, JOHN H. B. CONGER and CHARLEs J. EICHHORN, citizens of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented and produced a new and original Improvement in Means for Connecting Amplifying-Horns to Talking-Machines; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to numerals of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specifica- This invention relates more particularly to the attachment of amplifying-horns to the sound-boxes or speakers of talking-machines, although it obviously may be utilized in any other similar connections; and the objects of the invention are to secure a tight-fitting joint Without looseness or rattling, to enable the same to be quickly and easily connected or disconnected, to obtain a simple and inexpensive construction, and to secure other advantages and results, some of which may be hereinafter referred to in connection with the description of the working parts.

The invention consists in the improved connection for phonograph-horns and the like and in the arrangements and combinations of parts of the same, all substantially as will be hereinafter set forth, and finally embraced in the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several figures, Figure 1 is a side view of our improved device connected to a horn, and Fig. 2 is a plan of the same. Fig. 3 is a crosssection upon .line 00, Fig 2; and Figs. L and 5 are detail sectional views of modified constructions of the fastening means.

In said drawings, 1 indicates a phonograph or amplifying horn having its small end re duced and tapered, as at 2, and 3 is a connecting-piece of our improved construction. Said connecting-piece may be either elbow-shaped, as shown, or straight, as is common in the art, and is adapted at its one end, as 4, to be connected to the sound-box or speaker of a talkingmachine in any suitable and wellknown manner. The opposite end 5 of the connecting-piece 3 is slightly flared and made of proper size to slide on the end 2 of the horn, although it will be understood that it is not practicable in manufacturing large quantities cheaply to make the fit so exact that it will not with continued use become or wear loose, so that in jostling or other movement to which it is liable the connection may become inadvertentlydisconnected. It is to secure a more perfect connection of the elbowpiece to the horn and one which will be permanently free from looseness or dislodgment for which our invention is particularly intended.

The connecting-piece 3 is made of two longitudinal sections, each forming a half of the tubular piece and having at its edges radial flanges to be interfolded with the corresponding flanges of the other section, as shown at 14 in Fig. 3, to connect the two sections and hold them together as a single piece. The flanges of the two sections when they are folded together form longitudinal ribs 14: let upon the connecting-piece at diametrically opposite sides, and which ribs, it will be understood, greatly increase the rigidity or strength of the connectingpiece at those points, as will be referred to hereinafter.

In the interior walls of the con necting-piece 3, preferably about half-way between the ribs 14 14: and at the flared end 5, which is adapted to receive the horn, we provide a tapered groove 13, larger at its outer end, which lies at the end edges of the horn and gradually tapering or being reduced inwardly to a point. Upon the outer wall of the horn end 2 is formed a longitudinally-tapered rib or projcction 12, which is larger at the inner portion of the horn end 2 or adjacent to the body of the horn and tapers toward the extremity of the horn, ending in a point. This rib is adapted to enter the groove 13 of the connecting-piece and with a wedging effect so as to take up any looseness between the horn end and mouth of the connecting-piece. To accomplish the same purpose as the rib 12 and groove 13, which have been described, we may employ the set-screw shown at the opposite side of the connection and illustrated more particularly in Fig. 4.

Here a threaded perforation is formed in the end 5 of the connecting-piece, through which works a setscrew 6, adapted at its inner end to abut against the wall of the extremity 2 of the horn. Preferably a socket or seat 10 is provided to receive the extremity of the set-screw, and obviously in either case by turning up said setscrew any looseness between the horn and connecting-piece will be taken up.

Preferably both the set-screw and the riband-groove construction are employed on the same connecting-piece, being located at diametrically opposite points, as shown, and halfway between the ribs 14 14:. It will be understood, however, that either one may be employed alone, and where they are both employed the set-screw may project through the wall of the horn end, if desired, either loosely through a hole 9, as in Fig. 3, or screwing into a threaded perforation 11, as in Fig. 5. In this latter case, however, the set-screw serves only as a stop to prevent longitudinal separation of the end piece and horn, whereas in the preferred construction it performs the function of such a stop in addition to its primary function of wedging.

In use it will be noted that when a horn and connecting-piece are slid together the wall of the connecting-piece being thin and:

flexible to a considerable extent would yield to the shape of the horn end, except at the points where the two ribs 1e 14 extend longitudinally. These two points will press rigidly against the horn end at opposite sides thereof, even though the walls of the connecting-piece intermediate of said ribs are loose or standing away from the outer surface of the horn end. Obviously, therefore, without means for taking up any such existing looseness the connection might be tight only at the diametrically opposite points where said ribs 14. lie, so that there could be more or less rocking or lost motion in a plane at right angles to the plane of said ribs. If, however, such means as the set-screw 6 or rib and groove 12 13 be employed at one side of the connection between the ribs, it will take up all looseness on that side, and, furthermore, act sufliciently on the diametrically opposite side to take up more or less completely the looseness there. o prefer, however, to use such take-up means on both sides of the connection, so as to secure the most rigid and firm connection possible. Furthermore, by

using both such means, one a rib and groove and the other a set-screw, there is an element of cooperation between them in that the rib and groove serves to guide or aline the parts in connecting, so that the set-screw will properly enter its seat, and at the same time each of them independently exercises its primary wedging function.

In order to secure suitable thickness of the walls of the perforation for the set-screw in the connecting-piece, a boss may be formed, either by pressing up the metal of the connecting-piece, as at 7, Fig. 4:, or by applying an extra piece 8, as shown in Fig. 5.

While a connecting-piece, made of drawn tubing or all in one integral piece, might be employed without the take-up means described, it will be understood that the conditions are very different with a connecting-piece jointed longitudinally at diametrically opposite points, such as we use. Here there are formed opposite lines in the walls of the connectingpiece which are rigid or unyielding, while the intermediate parts of the walls of the connecting-piece are flexible to a considerable extent, and, as above stated, therefore when slid on the end of a horn these two diametrically opposite points engage unless, indeed, the connecting-piece is made with infinite precision, and therefore the rocking described is possible and must be prevented.

Having thus described the invention, what we claim as new is- The combination of a tubular connectingpiece comprising two longitudinal sections joined at their edges by radial inter-folded flanges which form exterior longitudinal ribs upon the connecting-piece, the said connecting-piece being adapted at one end to receive the end of a horn and having at one side intermediate of its said longitudinal ribs an interior tapered groove whose large end lies at the end edges of the connecting-piece and which tapers longitudinally inward, said end of the connecting-piece having in its walls opposite said groove a set-screw working in said perforation, and a horn having at its end adapted to enter the connecting-piece a seat to receive said set-screw and also having an exterior tapered rib whose large end lies next the body of the horn and which tapers outward toward the extremity of the horn, said tapered rib being adapted to enter the said tapered groove of the connecting-piece with a wedging effect and to also guide or center the said seat for the set-screw with respect to said set-screw.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto set our hands this 14th day of August, 1903.

JOHN H. B. CONGER. CHARLES J. EICHHORN.

Witnesses:

RUssELL M. EVERETT, CHARLES H. PELL. 

